VeNews May 4, 2001

Welcome to VeNews, the email newsletter for Vesper Society friends!

FAITH AND VALUES-BASED LEADERSHIP

For several months we have been reporting on our project, Developing Faith-Based Leaders in Health and Human Service Organizations. The project is past the mid-way point of its first year and the 16 participants have had several months to develop and hone their leadership skills. This special leadership training approach concentrates on helping managers incorporate faith and values into decisions that they make in the workplace, in this case the workplace being health and human service organizations.

The training program consists of five specific components and uses three distinct strategies to present the material. (The five components and three strategies have been reviewed in previous issues of VeNews.) Go to www.vesper.org to view past issues of VeNews.
The content the group is working on at the present time is Change Leadership. The most effective leaders are persons who do not simply change to accommodate new realities; they transform themselves and their organizations. They possess courage, conviction and persistence in the face of difficult challenges and unknown outcomes. They listen to others, grant authority to subordinates and do not micro-manage, and lead by example. Such leaders create internal strategic unity within a chaotic external environment by respecting and leveraging the organization's resources, including the unique talents and contribution of the individuals in the organization.

The strategy used to discuss Change Leadership is audio convening. Two audio conferences are held. Participants dial into a central telephone connection provided to them in advance. Once the students have called in, or convened, the faculty members provide the content in a series of mini-lectures, interspersed with questions and discussion. Participants have been assigned required pre-reading to prepare them for the sessions.

Between the two sessions, participants work in small groups to analyze and discuss a case study. They summarize their findings and present them during the second audio conference. This assignment enables them to apply the concepts learned to actual situations within their organizations. This helps ensure a more integrated learning experience.

For more information on Faith-Based Leadership Training, contact us at .

Vesper Society is a private operating foundation with programs in leadership, health, and Central America. Our mission is to create opportunities for individuals, groups, and organizations to apply moral and ethical values in decision making on social and economic issues.